Advanced Topics in Game Studies (Autumn 2024)

Abstract

Students learn to analyse and critically engage with games and related theoretical topics.

Description

Games and play are an increasingly important genre of entertainment, marketing, personal expression and art. This course provides a theoretical foundation for analysing game and engaging with the role of games in our society.

Students will gain an understanding of how to analyse and critically engage with games.

The seminar follows two interwoven threads: game analysis and theoretical topics in game research. The course covers central topics that addresses these issues including:

• Games, mediation and textuality
• Player Involvement
• Narrative
• Aesthetics
• Ethics
• Persuasive Games
• Politics and ideologies of Games
• Game history
  

The students' own research interests are encouraged and welcomed.

Formal prerequisites

Students are expected to have a grounding in the theoretical humanities and/or social sciences.

This course builds on Games & Culture. If the prospective student has not taken this course, but feels qualified for other reasons, please contact the course manager before applying.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Analyze digital games in a thorough and coherent manner, utilizing theories and methods engaged with in the course as a suite of analytical tools.
• Engage critically with the academic literature in the field of Game Studies.
• Refine and develop existing theories to better suit specific applied analysis.
• Research a given topic independently and write an essay that develops an existing theory or creates a new conceptual tool for game analysis.

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, External (7-point scale)
Exam variation:
C11: Submission of written work